When I was growing up, asking a classroom full of kids that question almost always included the answer “I want to be an astronaut!”  Space was cool. Space was something new, innovative and entrepreneurial. Inspiration was clearly NASA’s main value proposition.

Compare that with today.

What inspires tomorrow’s explorers, engineers and business leaders? From my personal experience, it has less and less to do with NASA, and more and more to do with other, well let’s just say “cooler” things.

Tomorrow’s leaders want to work for the “cool” company. They want to work for the next Google. The one that is open to new ideas. And so I wonder, how do we make NASA cool again? How do we use our space program as a catalyst to pass along that innovative, entrepreneurial, American spirit that got us to the moon in less than 10 years and launched a generation of innovators? Or better yet, how do we communicate all the cool things NASA is actually doing? Because, whether you know it or not, NASA does some amazing things!

I think it’s simple. Let them participate.

Think about it. Isn’t going to space so much cooler when you get to actually go?  Isn’t that lunar rover so much better when you actually get to build it and then drive it?  Isn’t that classroom outreach visit by the astronaut so much more relevant when they answer your question and then ask you one?

People want to be personally engaged. People want to see how they fit into the big picture. People, of all ages, want to be inspired. So that’s our challenge. We call it“participatory exploration” – creating a government agency that engages the American public in its mission and inspires the next generation of explorers, no matter what they want to be when they grow up.

How do people participate in what you do?

If you are in an organization, with a great product, that is having a tough time convincing your customers of your value proposition, you are not alone. I challenge you to think about how you can create a platform for participation in your organization. Don’t settle for mediocrity by just exposing people to or educating them about your product, collaborate with them to make it better.

If you want to attract the best and the brightest, open up your doors to new ideas and use participatory initiatives to attract the best and brightest earlier by allowing them to participate in your company.

At NASA, we know that business models are not eternal and we’re challenging the way we’ve always done things by working to make participatory exploration a core part of our business model. Whether NASA is designing the next exploration missions, using social networks to allow students to interact directly with astronauts living in space or creating a cutting edge Cloud Computing Platform to give the public unprecedented access to scientific data, NASA is engaging the American public in its mission.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention a few of the successful initiatives that are leading the way at NASA:

• NASA’s highly successful Centennial Challenges prize program has engaged inventors from around the country to successfully build prototypes of technology and innovation for use in space.
• We’re using social engagement tools to collect hundreds of ideas for improving the agency’s openness and transparency, more suggestions than any other government agency.
• Through a new policy initiative, NASA is working to make open source software development more collaborative for the benefit of the agency and the public. NASA has created “Nebula,” the U.S. government’s only cloud computing platform, which offers an easier way for NASA scientists and researchers to share large, complex data sets with external partners and the public.
• NASA is giving the public live access to its missions through NASA TV and its many social media sites.
• NASA’s education outreach program includes initiatives where students have opportunities to control space instruments remotely.
• NASA is establishing a new Participatory Exploration Office, which will be charged with infusing more public participation into NASA’s mission in order to directly engage citizens in exploration.

This article is cross-posted from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business “McCombs Today” Blog and was originally published on May 14th, 2010.

As @bethbeck mentioned yesterday in her post “Ideas on How to Open NASA?  Spill!” -

We’ve deployed a cool idea-sharing tool to let you give input, comment on input of others, and vote ideas up or down. Your ideas will feed into NASA’s Open Government Plan. You need an account first, but that’s as simple as adding your e-mail and a password.

We are looking forward to your ideas!

P.S. If you are interested in visiting the Open Initiative websites of other government agencies, Sunglight Labs has a great tracking site setup.  I’ve also included a list of all the sites for you here:

Yesterday, Amiko Kauderer (@amikokauderer), Joel Walker (@joelwalker), James McClellan (@jbmccl) and I (@skytland) had an opportunity to attend the Houston Social Media Club breakfast at the Houston Zoo to talk about NASA’s experiments in social media.  I wanted to share the presentation with the openNASA community and also invite you to the Houston Zoo’s next event!  So, if you are in Houston on Friday, February 26th, make sure to check out the “Tweets in Space” event at the Houston Zoo to meet some “twittering astronauts”!  Here’s some information:

On the evening of Friday February 26, 2010, we’re bringing the sights and sounds of space to the Houston Zoo. Expect an evening of learning, food, drink, entertainment and surprises from NASA and our community.  Our program will begin at 7:30 pm and afterward we will mingle, enjoy great music and get to know each other better.  Grab your tickets while they still last - on sale now!

WHEN: Friday February 26, 2010, 7-10 pm
WHERE: The Houston Zoo’s George R. Brown Education Hall (enter at Gate 5 - directions here)
HOW MUCH: $40 (Proceeds from the event will go to support the Houston Zoo) partners.

Photo credit: Mainline Mom

So, what about Astronauts in space?  Do they have internet?

When I posted “The First *Human* Tweet from Space” back in May 2009, some rightly pointed out that this technically wasn’t a tweet from space.  At that time, @astro_mike wrote an email that was sync’d to the ground later in the day (email is sync’d twice a day from the space).  The email was sent to PAO and a ghost writer copied/typed the “tweet” word for word on @astro_mike’s twitter account.

Although this was a big step for NASA at the time, the agency took an even bigger step forward today when Astronauts on the International Space Station received a special software upgrade that provides personal access to the Internet. Although the internet service is still limited (no pictures or big files yet), it does allow for real time updating! TJ Creamer made the first use of the new system about eight hours ago with an update to his Twitter account (@Astro_Tj), inviting questions from those of us still stuck on Earth:

“Hello Twitterverse! We r now LIVE tweeting from the International Space Station — the 1st live tweet from Space! More soon, send your ?s”

Here’s a little more information from the official NASA press release:

This personal Web access, called the Crew Support LAN, takes advantage of existing communication links to and from the station and gives astronauts the ability to browse and use the Web. The system will provide astronauts with direct private communications to enhance their quality of life during long-duration missions by helping to ease the isolation associated with life in a closed environment. During periods when the station is actively communicating with the ground using high-speed Ku-band communications, the crew will have remote access to the Internet via a ground computer. The crew will view the desktop of the ground computer using an onboard laptop and interact remotely with their keyboard touchpad.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m really looking forward to this new participatory era of human spaceflight.  The challenge for all of us is to think about how we can use social media everyday to create a direct, personal connection with people who don’t usually think about spaceflight and help them experience space travel as we see it!

Ever since I started at NASA, my colleagues and I have lamented how little information is available via our agency-wide employee directory. The information is practical– email, phone, employer, etc.– but we often remark how great it would be if we could extend that information with more detailed, timely, and even personal content. Information about who you are, what you work on, tags and skills, or side projects, would help us connect in more meaningful ways. It would let us not just find people we already know about, but search for people based on specific properties, and learn more about colleagues we are collaborating with.

Last month, spurred into action by Sunlight Labs’ Great American Hackathon, we wanted to show that transparency isn’t just something the public consumes from government, it’s something the government provides, too. After all, “the government” is just you and me, right?

The three pillars of the Open Government Directive (as discussed here previously) are transparency, participation, and collaboration. Collaboration (or lack thereof) is something that directly affects our ability to do our jobs every day.

As a result, Nick, Robbie and I are happy to announce the availability of people.openNASA. people is a new interface for finding and learning about your colleagues and collaborators at NASA. It is an extension to the x500 system currently available at people.nasa.gov. people.openNASA automatically includes all the information provided by x500, and exposes a number of additional fields which you can fill out to tell people more about yourself and your projects (all fields are optional).

We think people is cool because it builds a superset of the existing, public, NASA contact directory. Almost anyone you can find with people.nasa.gov, you can find with this new interface. Anyone with a NASA email address can edit their own profile (after validating their identity via email). You can add a bio, details and links about your main project, social media links, previous and side projects, and of course tags and skills. You can also customize your primary name, email and phone number. No more phone calls to your old office!

And finally, we’re using a service called Gravatar to pull in a profile picture associated with your NASA email address. Once you set a gravatar, not only will it show up in people, it will show up anytime you use your NASA email on a Gravatar-enabled service online to comment or post. It’s great to put a face with a name. And if you’re not comfortable with that, again, all these field are optional.

Right now you can search by name, tag, or skills, and we’ll be adding new features as you request them on our feedback page. Please try searching for yourself, and customizing your profile. We’re looking for suggestions, so let us know what you think!

The creation of mission patches is one of those age-old NASA traditions. Ever since humans first started traveling to space in the 1960’s, patches have been designed for each mission. It all began with the two-man Gemini IV mission in 1965 where the American flag was worn on a spacesuit and the tradition lives on today. The design of the mission patch is usually reserved for the crew (with the help of a NASA artist), but with only five Space Shuttle flights remaining, all scheduled to launch next year, NASA wanted to do something uplifting to mark the end of the Shuttle program. From October 15 to December 1, the Program opened up the design process and engaged past and present program workers to submit an emblem to mark the end of the shuttle era. NASA received 85 entries from people across the nation.

All 85 patch designs will be posted to an internal NASA website for a vote among employees from Jan. 11 through Jan. 29. 15 out of the 85 patch designs will be picked and flown on one of the last shuttle flights. NASA’s graphic artists will assist by adapting the winning concept for production. All 85 patch designs can be viewed here along with a short description from the artist. (PDF download: ~3mb)

Related articles on collectspace.com (by @robertpearlman):

• Designing an uplifting end to NASA’s space shuttle program
• NASA launches in-house patch contest to mark shuttle era’s end
• More than Just a Merit Badge.”

This is a great video that @joelwalker found today. The Known Universe takes you for a tour of our universe, from the Himalayas through the atmosphere to the edge of the known universe. Every star, planet, and quasar seen in the film is possible because of the world’s most complete four-dimensional map of the universe, the Digital Universe Atlas that is maintained and updated by astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History. The new film, created by the Museum, is part of an exhibition, Visions of the Cosmos: From the Milky Ocean to an Evolving Universe, at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan through May 2010.

If you are not familiar with BarCamps, they are an increasingly popular open-format collaborative working meeting format where those attending are encouraged to present to others on a topic of their choice. The barcamp format has been catching on in pockets around the space community. @edgufry and I had an opportunity to plan a BarCamp this fall which was hosted by the NASA Space Life Sciences Directorate (SLSD) at Johnson Space Center in August.  It was such a success that we are now in the process of planning a second event for January 29th (creatively entitled “Barcamp: A Sequel“). The goal of the the SLSDBarCamp events is to increase enthusiasm and communication within SLSD, create a platform for SLSD members to share their work, bridge gaps, facilitate knowledge management, brainstorm for new ideas and utilize existing ones. Our hope was to bring together members of our local community together and introduce the idea of hosting BarCamps at NASA JSC. Unfortunately, since this format is very new to the NASA community, we haven’t been able to convince management to open the SLSDBarCamps up to *everyone* yet (aka non NASA badged people) - but we are trying. In the near future, we hope to host BarCamp events that are open to the public at NASA Johnson Space Center, and for now we encourage those attending our events to join outside barcamps after their in-house experience.

But, we have great news for everyone! A new space barcamp event is being organized called “SpaceUp” – and this venue is open to YOU! As their website advertises, “you will be amazed at what comes out of SpaceUp. Based on similar unconferences in other industries, you might see businesses started, problems solved, projects kicked off, plans hatched, and amazing friendships born.” We encourage you to check them out! The first SpaceUp will be in San Diego this upcoming February or March.  Pre-register here.

* Why I’m a big fan of the BarCamp format (and why it’s better than your normal meeting as originally posted here):

1. All the people in the room attend voluntarily
2. If anyone feels they cannot contribute further, they can apply the law of two feet** and get up and leave
3. People join meetings on the basis of their interest and ability to contribute
4. Whoever is talking is doing so to share, teach, and ask/learn, not to look smart
5. Even in a crowded room, the conversation is facilitated in such a way that all those who wish to participate actively can
6. No judgment
7. No rank pulling
8. Content is king
9. Questions are welcome
10. PowerPoint is accidental

** There is one general law that governs all barcamps, it’s called the “law of 2 feet” which essentially means if people don’t like what they are seeing, they can get up on their two feet and move to another session or engage in a discussion with someone else. Yes, that’s actually encouraged and is the beauty of barcamp!

Over the past five years, I’ve watched as the public sector has become more comfortable with, and in some cases has even embraced and pushed forward, the use of “social media technology” and “enterprise 2.0 software” to transform the way government work is done.  The promise of technological conveniences is truly enticing, especially to an increasing impatient, technology equipped workforce, who have grand visions for the future of government. A large part of the change is lead by “Digital Natives” – people who have grown up in a connected world and have different attitudes, approaches and habits than those in preceding generations. And, while there is no doubt that the way we work in government is changing at a speed that is increasingly uncomfortable for many digital skeptics, a number of questions remain unanswered about what the future of government truly looks like in this new world. For example, what are the implications of growing up in a society that always remembers and never forgets?  What are the ramifications for organizations navigating a world with more and more digital interactions and communications? What does this mean for government leaders who are trying to cope with the information overload, which is only amplified by each new wave of technology?

These are a few of the questions we will be discussing at the Nobel Public Services Summit in Stockholm this December.  In a session called “A Public Sector Where Digital Natives Thrive” we will be exploring how the public sector will evolve in the Digital Age and we will compare and contrast the roles of the Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, and Digital Skeptics in this new digital landscape.

We hope to create an interactive, technology-enabled session so that YOU can participate alongside (digitally speaking) with the public sector delegates to collaborate, debate, and vote on a number of discussion related questions. During the event we will use #PSS09 and #PSS09DN.  But, in preparation for the session, we are asking for your participation in helping us answer three questions related to the future of government in the digital age which are included below.  We’ve setup three easy ways for you to share your input – a simple web interface, a twitter poll, or texting capability.  Additionally, we hope that you will share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment here.

So, what do YOU think?

1.  Should privacy be sacrificed for transparency?

Vote one of 3 Ways:
a.   Online poll
b.   Twitter – tweet @poll 46463 for Yes, @poll 46464 for No
c.   Text to +447624806527 – 46463 for Yes, 46464 for No

2.  Should the integration of devices, workplaces and “boundary-less” organizations be a top priority for the public sector?

Vote one of 3 Ways:
a.   Online poll
b.   Twitter – tweet @poll 46462 for Yes, @poll 46465 for No
c.   Text to +447624806527 – 46462 for Yes, 46465 for No

3.  Should public sector workers be allowed to post content in real-time using social media technologies without management approval?

Vote one of 3 Ways:
a.  Online poll
b.  Twitter – tweet @poll 46466 for Yes, @poll 46467 for No
c.  Text to +447624806527 – 46466 for Yes, 46467 for No

It’s been quite a long time since I had a chance to see a shuttle launch in person, despite numerous attempts otherwise.  The normal routine is to jump in the car last minute, drive 16 hours across 5 states, usually in the middle of the night, with 3 two-minute stops only for gas.  It’s hard to explain the logic behind this sleep and food deprived ritual and usually takes quite a bit of convincing in order to get others to join me.  But here’s why I do it: “a shuttle launch is just better in person.”

In today’s age of HD video, livecasting, and everything in between, it’s hard to imagine that you wouldn’t be able to capture all the glory of a launch in bits and bytes.  The fact of the matter is, you can’t.  Even as good as the Discovery Channel is, their footage just doesn’t compare.   Seeing a shuttle launch in person is truly an awe-inspiring experiences, one that will change your perspective.  It’s something you’ll never forget.  It’s something you just have to experience for yourself, in person.

What made today that much sweeter for me was to experience this launch with 100 of the most excited space fans I have ever met.  NASA hosted it’s first ever launch “tweetup,” bringing together people from around the world and giving them behind the scenes access to NASA.  Q/A sessions with astronauts and engineers, tours of Kennedy Space Center, and most importantly, an opportunity to watch the launch in person, from the same place that press watches from.  I had a unique advantage today to just sit back and observe the passion of those who were allowed an opportunity to participate in NASA’s mission, some for the first time ever.  It’s hard to capture their excitement for our space program, but I think a photo by Justin W. Moore (@bikegeek) sums it up better than anything I could write.  It’s a great reminder of why NASA does what it does.

The benefit of NASA’s use of social media tools and technologies is that launch events like today’s can be archived online.  Anyone can follow the  (and participate in) the #nasatweetup conversation.  You can watch webcasts of the events, browse thousands of pictures on flickr, and share in the excitement.  But, with only 5 more shuttle launches left, we’re quickly closing this chapter in America’s human space-flight ambitions.  If you haven’t had a chance to experience one in person, I’d do anything possible to see one – even if it means driving 16 hours across 5 states, or flying in from New Zealand, or using your last vacation day even if your boss doesn’t quite understand.  That fact is, it’s just better in person.

(download this picture)